Traveling around Pittsburgh, you’re bound to notice the overwhelming number of murals painted on the sides of buildings, walkways and rail cars.
Some are several stories high, adorning main roads, while others are smaller, tucked away in residential areas. The subject matter varies, from fun, pop culture-based works to Pittsburgh’s rich history to weighty messages calling for change.
Each has a life, a story, an artist — and an open-ended audience.
“We have a lot of talented artists here in Pittsburgh,” Bruce Chan, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s senior director of urban design, said. Murals contribute to a sense of “wonder” for residents and visitors of the city, he said, with works representing places, local spirit, characters and original perspectives.
“In Downtown, we really try to capture that as well,” Chan said. “The murals are done by local artists for sure — it’s one of the requirements we have, that we are coming from a point of view that might be from a Pittsburgh perspective that hasn’t had a chance to be highlighted before.”
Downtown Pittsburgh hosts a concentration of murals, as do its northeastern neighbors, the Strip District and Lawrenceville, making for an easy enough tour of homegrown works. The pieces have an array of origin stories, from officially commissioned murals to handshake agreements, which add up to a very Pittsburgh tapestry.
Overseeing much of the public art Downtown, PDP has commissioned local street artists for a variety of mural projects.
“The idea of murals, the idea of public art in a public realm, something very visible, was something that gave an opportunity for a lot of the art community here in Pittsburgh to be able to showcase their work,” Chan said.
Completed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Homewood native Camerin “Camo” Nesbit’s notable Downtown work “Black Flowers” grew out of meeting with the Pittsburgh nonprofit Riverlife and Shiftworks Community + Public Arts, formerly known as the Office for Public Art.
The ambitious mural series spans a portion of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail: Underneath the Fort Duquesne Bridge are 12 portraits of Pittsburghers across generations, both well known (actor-singer Billy Porter, rapper Wiz Khalifa) and less so (late Civil Rights activist and area NAACP leader Alma Speed Fox, late opera singer Mary Cardwell Dawson).
Creative throughout his life, Nesbit, 32, started out drawing characters from “Dragon Ball Z” and “Pokémon.” In high school, he turned his artistic skills to shoes. Since he couldn’t buy new ones as often as he would have liked, Nesbit started customizing his own shoes, to stay “fresh.” While getting his associate degree at Mercyhurst University in Erie, he began selling his custom shoes for extra cash.
That eventually led to him doing “the shoe thing” full time, and he started traveling around the country to different sneaker events. It was then, roughly 2016, he was exposed to a variety of artistic methods and, importantly, murals anchored in different cities.
“I’m self taught and kind of just grew something that was nothing into what it is today,” he said.
Across those eight or so years, Nesbit has painted more than 350 murals across the United States, including over 150 locally.
Nesbit is in company with numerous Pittsburghers contributing their respective styles and approaches.
That includes artist Kyle Holbrook, in his 40s, whose “Roberto Clemente” dominates the side of the Clemente Museum in Lower Lawrenceville. Commissioned by the museum, the three-story mural came to be with help from Manchester Craftsmen's Guild students.
Though Holbrook has completed murals around the globe (including five for the 2024 Summer Olympics), he’s particularly proud of his local contributions — because he’s proud of his city’s history.
“Everywhere I go, I’m talking about, ‘Oh this person’s from Pittsburgh.’ So being able to showcase that to, not only the residents, but people visiting, has always been something that adds to the importance of doing them in Pittsburgh for me,” Holbrook said.
The artist, who grew up in Wilkinsburg, recalled seeing “gang graffiti” on Port Authority properties. As an adult, Holbrook believes the graffiti is less prevalent due to the countless murals around Pittsburgh. Holbrook said he’s created more than 400.
Similarly prolific Pittsburgh muralist Jeremy Raymer, 43, maintains an active composite of murals along a warehouse exterior in his former Lower Lawrenceville neighborhood, the result of an agreement between Raymer and the building’s owners that dates to 2017. With free rein to “do whatever,” he adds new works and brings in other artists whenever he wants.
More than one of his murals resulted from business owners hiring him to cover up graffiti tags, lest they be fined. A prominent example along Penn Avenue near 33rd Street is Raymer’s “Magneto,” at AAA Scrap Iron & Metal.
Per the city’s municipal code, owners cannot allow their property to remain defaced with graffiti for a period of 10 days after receiving a notice, with fines of $250 each day the “condition” continues beyond 90 days constitutes as a separate offense.
Nesbit estimates that up to 30% of the murals he’s painted are for “environmental beautification,” to cover up existing illegal graffiti.
But he appreciates graffiti culture when it isn’t creating a negative impact for businesses, noting it would be harder to practice his artistry without it.
“It’s a good way to coexist. I think there’s a way for graffiti artists to be heard for a quick second, get their name out, do their tags or their throw ups,” Nesbit said. “And if we come in to beautify that space, we can coexist and, even better, graffiti artists might even be able to make that space beautiful instead of ‘vandalized’ graffiti.”
Other murals are made to add nuance and interest to businesses and their neighborhoods.
In Lawrenceville, Dan Kitchener's “New Amsterdam,” commissioned by the restaurant-bar of the same name, covers three stories with a streetscape blanketed in lights, reflections and colors.
“I think it gives New Amsterdam its identity. It’s sort of like the symbol of the place,” owner John Pergal said. “We use it on Instagram and stuff, and I think people, when they’re talking about New Amsterdam, they refer to ‘the place with the big mural on the side of it.’”
When customers see the mural for the first time, Pergal said, they’re “amazed” at its size. The work also drives business, he said, as onlookers take pictures for social media and provoke curiosity for the restaurant. Another work by the London-based Kitchener is inside Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall, also owned by Pergal.
“It’s just a great way to express local artists’ work and just artists’ work in general, it gets them such a wide audience,” Pergal said.
Such exposure hasn’t gone unnoticed by Pittsburgh muralists.
Artist Tom Mosser, 54, said the 2005 completion of “The Two Andys,” located Downtown at the corner of Strawberry Way and Smithfield Street, opened doors for his artwork. Following the mural’s completion, he was commissioned to paint a piece in the Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils, while it was under construction in 2007.
“When I got that New Jersey project, financially it became all worth it because ‘The Two Andys’ project led to that mural,” Mosser said.
And commissioned or not, Nesbit stressed the importance of the “lifetime” of this artistry. Murals have a birth date and an expiration date. The amount of effort that goes into their creation, just to eventually weather, be replaced, covered or tagged, makes them that much more special.
He also said street art and murals are one of the only forms of art that a person can see for free on a daily basis — on the way to work, during a leisurely walk or while biking past.
“It brings a culture logistically, energetically and in a different form of beauty,” Nesbit said. “It’s good to be on your commute, having a fair day instead of a great day, and see a mural you haven’t seen before or something that catches your eyes.”
Where: 242 51st St.
Artists: Various
Completed: 2017-2023
The Spirit Walls, hosted by bar-restaurant Spirit, were created as a means of “showcasing the work of all intersections of Pittsburgh's street art community,” according to Spirit’s website.
Brian Gonnella of Lawrenceville, who established the collaborative mural while working at Spirit as a dishwasher in 2017, co-organizes an annual block party with Pittsburgh Artist’s Autonomy Collective — a group dedicated to creating safe, legal walls and spaces for street art and graffiti in the City of Pittsburgh.
“I got clued into the idea that a lot of cities were way ahead of Pittsburgh in terms of just having an active street art-graffiti scene,” Gonella said. “I thought that was something that the city was kind of missing out on.”
Most years, an exterior wall is repainted by a number of local artists and debuts at the block party in September. The most recent murals, painted in 2023, feature colorful sea, plant and land life. But 2024’s update is on pause due to ongoing renovations at the venue.
Where: 4421 Butler St.
Artist: Dan Kitchener
Completed: 2016
London-based artist Dan Kitchener painted this mural on the side of the New Amsterdam restaurant. It was the global artist’s first street art piece in the United States.
The side wall facing 44th Street had featured a mural depicting a sugar skull mural. In 2016, as the skull began to fade, New Amsterdam owner John Pergal decided it was time for something new. Pittsburgh artist Ziggy Sawdust, aka Brady Kellner, suggested he recruit Kitchener.
“Dan was interested in coming to the United States to start doing murals, and he hadn’t done any here, so we corresponded a little bit and talked on the phone. Then we flew him over and he did the mural,” Pergal said.
Covering an entire three-story side of the restaurant, Kitchener’s piece depicts a colorful urban landscape complete with cars and streetlights, all painted “off the top of” Kitchener’s head, according to Pergal.
Where: 177 42nd St.
Artist: Jeremy Raymer
Completed: 2016
One of the early murals by prolific Pittsburgh street artist Jeremy Raymer, “Flight of Doves” shows birds of peace ascending above the plant-lined 42nd Street in the middle of Lawrenceville.
While there was originally another painting on the private home, the owners wanted something new. They asked Raymer and a collage of doves was the result.
A University of Pittsburgh graduate who studied biomechanical engineering, Raymer worked in the field in San Francisco for a while. Art remained a hobby until a 2013 visit to his sister in Florida, where Raymer was introduced to spray painting and the large-scale works that came with it.
He is now a well-known Pittsburgh muralist — who signs works with his surname only — with countless works spanning the city.
Where: 166 Almond Way
Artist: Jeremy Raymer
Completed: 2020
This Raymer piece wasn’t easy to get started: The artist wanted the blessing of its subject, special effects makeup artist Tom Savini, which involved working through connections to reach the Pittsburgh native. Once he did, Savini was “super geeked” about it, Raymer recalled.
The mural frames Savini, who has worked on or acted in many horror movies, striking a dramatic pose while holding Jason’s mask from the “Friday the 13th” series. Raymer, a horror fan, said the Savini mural is one of his favorites.
He worked directly with Savini, who still lives in Pittsburgh, to complete the design. Savini provided a picture of himself and allowed Raymer to take photographs of his hand and the iconic mask. These images were combined for the final product.
“Being able to make a connection and, to a certain level become friends with Tom from this, was pretty awesome,” Raymer said. “Being able to do public artwork and connect with people, that’s what it’s all about.”
Where: 3526 Butler St.
Artist: Jeremy Raymer
Completed: 2021
Located in a pocket park and surrounded by three other works of street art, the mural helps make for a perfect place to sit on the rainbow bench planted there. The artist is friends with the landowner and other Raymer pieces are featured in the spot as well.
“Home Alone,” which features Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin in his classic hands-on-cheeks pose, is his 10th or 11th piece in the courtyard — previous pieces have been painted over. It’s a fun work of art, meant to get Pittsburghers ready for Christmas.
Where: 183 35th St.
Artists: Various
Completed: 2017-present
Here you’ll find an entire block of works by Raymer. Homer Simpson fumbles around on the right. Raymer’s signature is etched into the wall on the left. A plethora of colorful, creative paintings fill the gaps in between.
The area is part of a longstanding agreement between Raymer and the owners of the warehouse. The artist used to live on the block, painting his first murals on his house across the street from the warehouse, leading its owner to give Raymer free rein to “do whatever.”
Raymer also brings in artists from around the country to add their artwork up, too. Like a notebook filled with doodles, the space features a variety of pieces with different styles. Together, they create a vibrant collage and make for a psychedelic viewing experience. Raymer said the works change whenever he wants to create something new.
“A lot of it is just kind of having fun with it and playing around,” he said.
Where: 3339 Penn Ave.
Artist: Kyle Holbrook
Completed: 2019
Artist Kyle Holbrook of Penn Hills, with some help from Manchester Craftsmen's Guild students, painted a large portrait of Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. The massive, three-story work is fittingly plastered on the side of The Clemente Museum, the organization that commissioned it.
When the mural was painted, members of the Pittsburgh community, including Vera Zabala Clemente, Roberto Clemente’s late wife, came to add their “tags” — names, handprints, paw prints and more. From afar, these additions blend into the overall work. From afar, these additions blend into the painting. But when approached, they become much more prominent.
Holbrook said his father was a “real big fan” of Clemente, not just because of his baseball talent, but because of the type of person he was. Holbrook worked with Duane Rieder, the museum’s executive director and curator, to capture the ballplayer’s likeness.
“My Uncle Earl played with him, got a World Series with him, and I was always real proud of that all my life,” Holbrook said. “So it was just an honor to do.”
Where: 3313 Penn Ave.
Artist: Jeremy Raymer
Completed: 2016
The villain of the “X-Men” series is plastered on a set of walls outside of AAA Scrap Iron and Metal. It’s the perfect setting since the character can manipulate all forms of magnetism.
Raymer lived just a couple of blocks from the scrapyard and, since the area had been repeatedly tagged with graffiti, the concept of a mural came up in a conversation between the artist and the business owners. After a few preliminary designs, Magneto was chosen.
“A lot of times I like to do some level of site specificness,” Raymer said. “I was always obsessed with magnets … It just kind of came together with that one.”
Where: 3100 Penn Ave.
Artists: Kyle Holbrook and Matt Speck
Completed: 2020
Designed by Kyle Holbrook and painted by Matt Speck, this work is part of a 10-mural initiative by Holbrook. Speck painted the piece amid national protests for racial justice in 2020.
Working in marketing after graduating from Pitt in 2020, Speck worked for about a week before he realized the job wasn’t for him. Soon after, he applied to paint this mural and was selected from over 300 applicants.
“I think 2020 was such a huge year for social change, social issues,” he said. “We had a pandemic going on, we had Black Lives Matter movements, we had riots — all these things happening around the country.”
When Speck painted the mural, he invited members of the community to sign it with words of encouragement and unity. Hundreds of people showed up, he said, writing messages such as “spread love” and “lift each other up.”
“You can see those community contributions when you come up close, and they’re a really big part of the artwork aesthetically,” Holbrook said.
Where: 2923 Penn Ave.
Artists: Kyle Holbrook and various
Completed: 2010
It’s hard to miss the murals on Salem’s, including a Holbrook piece covering most of two sides of the building and depicting numerous locations and country flags. The original work, painted in 2010 by Kyle Holbrook, depicts a variety of locations around the world.
The market’s owners commissioned the two-story mural as they were opening, asking that it represent the many types of cuisine they offer. Holbrook included a peace sign, a variety of international landscapes and a slew of different colors — all combined in a jagged design.
“It’s held up. I mean, 14 years later it’s still colorful,” Holbrook said.
While looking at the main mural, take note of another “Solidarity for Change” work, designed by Holbrook and painted by Suphitsara Buttra Coleman in 2020 amid protests for racial justice.
Where: 2601 Smallman St.
Artist: Jeremy Raymer
Completed: 2019
Visitors to this brewpub are welcomed by a 250-square-foot mural depicting four animals.
Cinderlands Beer Co. wanted an “animal totem of sorts,” according to Raymer, so the company worked with the artist to narrow the selection down to four animals native to Pennsylvania. The final product features an owl, a coyote, an eagle and a bear. The coyote holds a pint glass while the eagle pours a beer. The rest wait in anticipation.
“It was supposed to be a whimsical piece,” the artist said.
Where: 1907 Penn Ave.
Artists: Carley Jean Hill and Shannon Pultz
Completed: 2010
A Strip District staple, the mural combines the area’s history, characters and community ideals into a single image that is almost a mirror of the surrounding reality.
The piece draws the eye to layers of blue in the sky, which represent the fast-changing Pittsburgh weather, and the numerous references to Strip District regulars.
For example, the overflowing shopping cart in the bottom right corner represents Bob, a homeless man who had long lived nearby. Joe Hermanowski, the owner of the building, is also included.
The project began in response to a call for proposals from The Sprout Fund, which is responsible for 56 murals across the Steel City by 50-plus artists in over 40 locations.
Pultz designed the layout of the mural after spending time at the Heinz History Center, integrating old photographs of the neighborhood with new ones, and receiving feedback from a neighborhood group, the Strip District Neighbors.
Nearly 15 years after it was painted, its colors remain vibrant.
Where: 1711 Penn Ave.
Artist: Jeremy Raymer
Completed: 2015
Raymer had been wanting to paint a squid for quite some time, and finally had the opportunity when Wholey’s Market commissioned this work.
There wasn’t a specific reason Raymer wanted to paint the sea creature, he said, but Wholey’s is known for its large selection of seafood — including squid — so it fit.
“You know, if I see something and I like it, and I think it’s interesting, I like to emulate it in some way and that’s all there was for that one.”
Since the store just wanted some sort of artwork on the building, Raymer was given the freedom to paint what he wanted — a dark red squid in the depths of the ocean.
Where: Starts at the corner of Strawberry Way and Grant Street
Artists: Shane Pilster, Max Gonzales, students from Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts 6-12
Completed: 2022
A 440-foot long piece painted on the street, “Rainbow Road” was the culmination of efforts by 36 Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts students, as well as Pittsburgh muralists Shane Pilster and Max Gonzales, who led the project.
They used a surrealist technique called the “exquisite corpse,” an assembly of images or words. The rainbow mural highlights each contributing artist’s unique style while simultaneously linking them together as a whole.
Where: 628 Smithfield St.
Artists: Tom Mosser and Sarah Zeffrino
Completed: 2005
Located right next to Strawberry Way, this piece depicts Andy Warhol and Andrew Carnegie in a hair salon. Carnegie softens his hands while Warhol reads a magazine referencing “Fences,” the play by Pittsburgh native August Wilson.
The mural was the result of a 2005 art competition hosted by the Pittsburgh nonprofit Sprout Fund.
Co-painting the piece, artists Tom Mosser and Sarah Zeffiro wanted to juxtapose the disparate icons and scratch at what their conversation might be, should they find themselves together.
Where: 259 Sixth St.
Artist: Phil Seth
Completed: 2022
No mural tour would be complete without a look at the Steel City as a travel icon. Featuring the classic postcard look, the piece includes Pittsburgh’s yellow bridges, the Duquesne Incline, the autumn leaves of Western Pennsylvania’s fall and more.
Artist Phil Seth’s design was chosen when the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership put out a call for art in 2022.
“My idea was to fill it with scenes and nature from Pittsburgh. It includes some of the stadiums, because so many people are on their walk over from parking garages or on their commutes headed to the stadium” while walking toward the Sixth Street Bridge, he said.
The mural brings the artist “a lot of pride and joy.” Seth said he wants Pittsburghers to feel as proud about living in the city as he did painting the mural.
Where: Three Rivers Heritage Trail, under the Fort Duquesne Bridge
Artist: Camerin “Camo” Nesbit
Completed: 2021
This wasn’t the first art to manifest under the Fort Duquesne Bridge, artist Camerin “Camo” Nesbit of Swissvale said. Previously, it was an expanse of grayscale and monochrome plant life by Kim Beck, called “Adjunct.”
Amid racial justice protests in 2020, three anonymous artists painted “Black Lives Matter” on Beck’s mural. Nesbit said he wanted to do his “due diligence” and repaint the wall without undermining the message of the graffiti.
He teamed up with 15 other artists to add to the BLM tag, but even after these efforts were completed, the mural continued to experience vandalism. That’s when Nesbit collaborated with the city to sanction the artwork.
After another repaint and more cases of unsanctioned graffiti, “Black Flowers” eventually grew out of another meeting with Pittsburgh Riverlife and the Office of Public Art (now known as Shiftworks).
The final mural features 12 Pittsburgh notables, including actor-singer Billy Porter, rapper Wiz Khalifa and Nesbit, in a self-portrait — all given flowers to “bloom” in the environment.
Samuel Long: slong@post-gazette.com
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